Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, Heledd Gwyndaf, disputed the claim, saying that she had agreed to the interview and offered to go to the BBC’s studio at the National Eisteddfod or in Bangor.

Ian Katz’s letter also defended the programme saying that “the question of whether the public promotion of the Welsh language is effective and beneficial to Wales is a perfectly legitimate subject for debate”.

But he also said that “the wording of our introduction” – which asked whether Welsh was a help or hindrance to the nation – “was cruder that is should have been”.